Tiny Amoebas Decimating Global Salmon Farms

A microscopic amoeba is causing a massive crisis for the global salmon industry. These single-celled organisms attack fish gills, making it impossible for them to breathe and causing millions in annual losses.

While we usually think of parasites as worms or insects, this disease is caused by a tiny amoeba that thrives in saltwater. It specifically targets the gills of Atlantic salmon, leading to suffocating lesions that devastate fish farms. Beyond salmon, these hardy organisms have also been discovered in crabs and sea urchins. Scientists are racing to find effective treatments to stop this invisible underwater threat.